Amended in Senate August 31, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 161

Introduced by Assembly Member Chau

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cooley and Gordon)

begin insert

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson and Nielsen)

end insert

January 21, 2015

An act to add begin delete Chapter 2.7 end delete begin insert Chapter 2.6 end insert (commencing with Section 18898) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to athletic trainers.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 161, as amended, Chau. Athletic trainers.

Existing law provides for the regulation of various professions and vocations, including those of an athlete agent.

This bill would make it unlawful for any person to hold himself or herself out as an athletic begin delete trainer or a certified athletic trainer, end delete begin insert trainer, use the title of, among others, athletic trainer, end insert or to use specified terms to imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer, unless he or she is certified by the Board of Certification, Inc., and has either graduated from a college or university, after completing an accredited athletic training education program, as specified, or completed eligibility requirements for certification by the Board of Certification, Inc., begin delete prior to January 1, 2004. end delete begin insert as specified. end insert The bill would make it an unfair business practice to use the title “athletic trainer,” “certified athletic trainer,” or other specified terms that imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer if he or she does not meet the requirements described above.

This bill, notwithstanding these provisions, would authorize a person who has worked as an athletic trainer in California for a period of 20 consecutive years prior to January 1, 2016, and who is not otherwise eligible to use the title “athletic trainer,” to use that title.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Chapter begin delete 2.7 end delete begin insert 2.6 end insert (commencing with Section 18898)
is added to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to
read:

 

Chapter   begin delete 2.7. end delete begin insert 2.6. end insert Athletic Trainers

 

18898.  

(a) A person shall not hold himself or herself out to be
an athletic begin delete trainer or a certified athletic trainer, or use the term end delete
begin insert trainer, use the title “athletic trainer,” “certified athletic trainer,”
“licensed athletic trainer,” “registered athletic trainer,” or end insert begin insert any
other term such as end insert “AT,” “ATC,” begin insert “LAT, end insert begin insert ” end insert or “CAT” to imply or
suggest that the person is an athletic trainer, unless he or she meets
the following requirements:

(1) He or she has done either of the following:

(A) Graduated from a college or university after completing an
athletic training education program accredited by the Commission
on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or its predecessors
or successors.

(B) Completed eligibility requirements for certification by the
Board of Certification, Inc., begin delete prior to January 1, 2004. end delete begin insert or its
predecessors or successors. end insert

(2) He or she is certified by the Board of Certification, begin delete Inc. end delete begin insert Inc.,
or its predecessors or successors end insert begin insert . end insert

(b) It is an unfair business practice within the meaning of
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division
7 for a person to use the title “athletic trainer,” “certified athletic
begin delete trainer” or any other term, such as “certified,” “licensed,”
“registered,” end delete begin insert trainer,” “licensed athletic trainer,” “registered
athletic trainer,” or any other term such as end insert “AT,” “ATC,” begin insert “LAT end insert begin insert ,” end insert
or “CAT,” that implies or suggests that the person is an athletic
trainer, if he or she does not meet the requirements of subdivision
(a).

18899.  

Notwithstanding Section 18898, a person who has
worked as an athletic trainer in California for a period of 20
consecutive years prior to January 1, 2016, and who is not
otherwise eligible to use the title “athletic trainer,” may use the
title “athletic trainer.”